Steps

1.
Cut the pre-cut mochi into 6 pieces, and place in a heatproof dish. Add 1 tablespoon of water (not listed in the ingredients), and microwave for 1 minute at 600 W.

2.
Put the rice on top of the heated mochi, and mix with a spoon. (If you are using cold rice, microwave it with the mochi in Step 1). The mixture will stick to the spoon, so please wet the spoon before mixing.

3.
Divide the mochi into 5 portions (about 20 g each) and roll into balls with wet hands. Place the balls on top of plastic wrap.

4.
Place 40 g of tsubu an on your palm, and flatten it. Put the mochi from Step 3 in the middle, and wrap it with the flattened tsubu an. Do the same with the remaining 4 portions.

5.
This is how to make kinako ohagi. Place the mochi from Step 3 (about 35 g) on your wet palm, and flatten it. Put 10 g of tsubu-an in the middle, and wrap it up.

6.
Mix 2 teaspoons of kinako and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl. Coat the mochi balls from Step 5 with the kinako mixture.

7.
You can make 5 pieces of tsubu an ohagi, or 3 pieces of kinako ohagi with 1 pre-cut mochi and 50 g rice. If you want to make both kinds, you can make 4 total (2 of each)

Story Behind this Recipe

I had a craving for ohagi rice cakes, but if I make a lot, I end up with too many leftovers. So I came up with this recipe to easily make a small portion of mochi.

Helpful Hints

It's easier to work if you put some water in a bowl for wetting your hands (since the mochi sticks to your hands)Measuring the tsubu an and rolling it into balls before microwaving the mochi makes the work easier.